Oshawa, ON: Lyme Disease: A silent epidemic
Posted on May 14, 2019 by in IN THE SPOTLIGHT, THE FOURTH ESTATE
By Chris Jones/The Oshawa Express
With Lyme Disease Awareness Month now in full swing, Linda Lowery hopes awareness regarding the disease will spread.
Lyme disease is a bacterial illness that affects people and animals. It spreads by the bite of an infected tick.
However, according to Lowery there is so much more to it than that.
A survivor of the debilitating disease herself, Lowery is now trying to help people be more informed about what will happen if they contract it, what they can do to prevent it, and what she says health providers aren’t telling people.
An Oshawa resident, Lowery says she doesn’t know how or when she contracted the disease as while she enjoys being outside, she has never considered herself an “outdoorsy” person.
“A lot of people have to learn… people are really vulnerable right now,” says Lowery.
She says the important thing to remember about Lyme disease is there are also numerous co-infections which can come from the bite of the tick, such as Bartonella disease.
She explains the condition [Lyme disease] was named after a town in the United States named Lyme, Connecticut.
“It’s been around for quite a while, but it’s becoming a real health threat, and that’s where I get concerned because people don’t know enough about it to keep themselves safe,” she explains.
She says how it manifests will vary depending on where the bacteria has “lodged” in the body.